stephen hiscock - composer

music for film, theatre, tv and pictures

about.......

I’m a composer, drummer and percussionist. My composing work has covered film, advertisements, theatre and the concert hall. My works have been performed at the Melbourne Festival, Aardklop Festival (South Africa), Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, Glastonbury, Latitude and a national tour of Ghana. Most recently I’ve been writing for the theatre. I composed the score (and was the solo onstage musician/performer) in ‘Lionboy’ produced by Complicite which toured in 2015 to the UK, Hong Kong, South Korea, South Africa and played for two weeks on Broadway in New York. Also ‘X&Y’ - a two-hander with Marcus Du Sautoy and Victoria Gould - produced by the Science Museum and performed at all the major UK festivals.

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The score for ’The Driver’ - a major documentary for Qatari TV, shown as the centrepiece of Qatar National Day celebrations was composed in 2012 and I’ve just finished writing the score for ‘Light in the Himalayas’ - a major feature film from Dos Rios Films based in Seattle. Some other notable works include ‘Underneath’ - a twenty minute commission for five hundred young people to open the Bath International Music Festival at Bath Abbey. I’ve also set the poetry of prisoners to song for the BBC radio series “Ballads of Reading Jail”. This won a Sony Gold Award in 2011. I’ve written children’s songs for Facepack Theatre’s educational show which has toured hundreds of UK schools over the past seven years.

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In 1992 I was a founder member of one of the world’s most innovative percussion chamber groups - ensemblebash. During the ongoing life of the group I’ve performed world premieres of works by Steve Reich, Stewart Copeland, Nitin Sawhney, Django Bates, Eric Whitacre, Imogen Heap, Keith Tippett and Tan Dun. Other collaborators include Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Evelyn Glennie, Chick Corea, Kathryn Tickell, The Hilliard Ensemble, Britten Sinfonia and the BBC Singers. We’ve also played at several BBC Proms and undertaken major tours in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa._________________________________

As a drum kit player I’ve performed with Aimee Mann, Squeeze, Nanci Griffith, Arthur Darvill, Richard Durrant (drum kit, bicycles and bells!) amongst others and I’m currently drummer for Mark Eitzel (American Music Club). I also work at Shakespeare’s Globe as percussionist and musical director. An important collaboration is with Sarah Angliss in the band ‘Spacedog’ featuring theremins, robots, baroque recorder, handbells and vibes. Our most recent gigs have included the Edinburgh Science Festival, Green Man Festival, Prima Vista in Estonia and a BFI - commissioned live film soundtrack performed at the NFT as part of their major ‘Gothic’ series in 2014.

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I’ve also spent several very happy study periods in Ghana learning traditional styles of music with master musicians from the National Dance Company of Ghana and The Pan African Orchestra.___________________________________